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Zion and Bryce Canyon Soundscapes

Instrumental, original music performed on piano, oboe, English horn, cello,guitar, bass and French horn about Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Each of the 12 pieces capture a different spirit of a place in Zion or Bryce Canyon National Parks.

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

"Zion and Bryce Canyon Soundscapes" is a recording of original instrumental music about Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Pianist and oboist/English horn player, Jill Haley, wrote 12 pieces about specific places in the Parks. She is joined by guitarist, David Cullen, French horn player, Dana Cullen, and cellist, Graham Cullen. The CD package includes a 12 page photo booklet of places in the parks that inspired the titles. Visitors to these parks will recognize many of the places the compositions were titled after, and others who have not visited these parks will hopefully enjoy the music in an enhanced way with the photographs of the titles.The music is an eclectic mix of many different musical styles such as folk, new age, classical and jazz. Bill Binkelman of the New Age Retailer writes of Jill's last recording "Glacier Soundscapes" : "Few nature inspired musicians have achieved the heights that Jill Haley does. Her soulful woodwinds along with David Cullen's guitars bring solid cohesion to her musical vision."

Having listened to and reviewed numerous albums that listed Jill Haley as a session musician, it’s a treat to see and hear a CD under her own name showcasing the full range of her considerable musical talents including her choice of instruments that are not as much heard in this genre of music – namely the English horn and the oboe. Also on the album are David Cullen on guitar and bass, cellist Graham Cullen, and Dana Cullen on French horn.

As mentioned, Jill is best known for her exquisite playing on oboe and English horn, so it was a pleasant surprise to find what an excellent pianist and composer she is as well. The piano is the foundation for most of the compositions with embellishments by string and wind instruments. The warm woody timbre of the oboe provides a perfect accompaniment that glides effortlessly over the piano arrangement, such as on the first track “Floating In The Narrows.” I particularly enjoyed the sweet alchemy of the oboe interweaving with the rich sustained tones of the cello on the second track. A nice change-up takes place with track 5, “Cerulean Sky,” as the classical guitar makes its debut on the album and defines the structure for the piece, rather than the piano.

Jill Haley has done a magnificent job of capturing the spirit and evoking both the feel and natural beauty of these precious National Park lands in her instrumental “soundscapes.” Inside the glossy eco-package is a beautiful full color 12-page booklet with photos of the places in the park that inspired the song titles, along with a descriptive sentence or two about each photo. It is music for a wonderful cause, and it was gratifying to see her step out of the role of a supporting musician and into the spotlight of her own creations. All in all, the album provides a peaceful and uplifting listening experience that is enhanced by the natural beauty of the photos that accompany the CD. To read a full-length review of this CD, and others, please visit: www.michaeldiamondmusic.com

I have been familiar with Jill Haley’s contributions to other artists’ albums for almost as long as I’ve been reviewing, so it was a very pleasant surprise to receive an album in her own name. "Zion and Bryce Canyon Soundscapes" is the second in series of recordings inspired by our precious National Parks (the first was for Glacier National Park in 2010) and dedicated to the National Park Service, which is celebrating its centennial in 2016. Haley’s soulful oboe and English horn have been regular fixtures on many Will Ackerman-produced albums, but I had no idea that she is also a composer and pianist. She is joined on this lovely album by guitarist (and husband) David Cullen as well as Dana Cullen on French horn and Graham Cullen on cello, making this a most impressive family project. The beautiful package includes twelve of Haley’s photos that show the inspiration for each piece along with a brief description of each place. So, although the National Park System is quite a large entity, "Zion and Bryce Canyon Soundscapes" is a very personal (and impressive!) tribute expressed in the universal languages of music and photography.

"Zion and Bryce Soundscapes" begins with “Floating in the Narrows,” a piece for piano and English horn, both performed by Haley. The piano seems to express the flowing water while the English horn provides a lilting melody that conveys the feeling of floating effortlessly - a beautiful start! “Hoodoo Silhouettes” gracefully describes the changing light on the pinnacles that rise up from the amphitheater of Bryce Canyon. Composed for cello, piano, and English horn, it’s a beauty and one of my favorite tracks. “Watchman Trek” (for piano and oboe) is sometimes soaring and sometimes very haunting - a fascinating combination! French horn brings a feeling of majesty to “Queen’s Garden.” Piano and English horn provide the other voices to this stirring and very visual piece. My favorite track is “Spilled Sunshine on Red Rocks,” an energetic and upbeat composition for guitar, fretless bass, and oboe that exudes joy, freedom and warmth. I also really like “Navajo Loop,” a haunting duet for guitar and English horn that seems to tell of places that are both intimate and vast. The sound of the whistle on “Emerald Pools Mist” provides an interesting contrast to some of the other instrumentation. Accompanied by piano, guitar, and oboe, the sound is refreshing and light. “Waves of Wind” closes the set with piano, guitar, cello, and oboe describing the effects of wind swirling the sand and setting everything in motion - a colorful ending to a great album!

"Zion and Bryce Soundscapes" is excellent from start to finish and the beautiful photography makes for a very special package. Very highly recommended!

Jill Haley, who plays English horn on many of the CDs reviewed on this site, presents a collection of original compositions inspired by and dedicated to the Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks in Utah. Naturally, the music is as grand and as epic as the subject matter that informs it.

In addition to English horn, Haley also plays piano and oboe on the recording. She is joined by David Cullen on guitars and bass, Dana Cullen on French horn, and Graham Cullen on cello. While Haley’s compositions and instruments are the major components of the album, the contributions by the Cullens are just as integral to the overall musical portrait Haley paints of these majestic American landscapes.

The key to unlocking the beauty and grandeur of the Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks in musical form is in creating subtle and gentle impressions that evoke humbled awe. Haley understands this and executes this with aplomb, aided and abetted by the skillful and passionate playing of the Cullens. As enjoyable as this CD will be to anyone who appreciates well-crafted instrumental music, I imagine that this would be a perfect soundtrack to take on a trip to the Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.

An added bonus to the release is the album package itself, which includes Haley’s photographs of the Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks and makes for a nice commemorative keepsake. The cover features a beautiful photograph of one of the stunning rock canyons, and the attached interior 12-page photo booklet includes more breathtaking views of the park sites that inspired each of the tracks.